Gary Dorrien, a major voice in contemporary American religion, is the keynote speaker at the Seymour Symposium, an annual event at Binkley Baptist Church, 1712 Willow Drive.

The symposium on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30, will address the topic "Liberal Christianity and Social Ethics: Past and Present."

In three lectures during the two-day event, Dorrien will discuss the Social Gospel, racial justice, economic justice, the current world economic crisis and liberal theology, giving voice to his own sense of the mission of social Christianity.

During a fourth session of the symposium, a panel of respondents will engage Professor Dorrien in a discussion of liberal theology and social ethics as they relate to life here and now. Each session will allow time for questions and comments from participants.

Dorrien is the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of social ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York and professor of religion at Columbia University. He is an Episcopal priest.

The Seymour Symposium was begun in 1988 on the occasion of the retirement of Robert Seymour, the church's first full-time pastor. It was created to honor his legacy and encourage the church to continue engaging contemporary concerns, according to the symposium brochure.

Registration begins at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29, with two sessions and dinner on the agenda.

On Saturday, coffee and registration are at 8:30 a.m. Two sessions, including the panel discussion, are on tap. The panel, which begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 12:30 p.m., includes Trudier Harris, Sitterson professor of English at UNC; Carol Ripley-Moffitt, UNC Department of Family Medicine; Susan Rogers, Duke School of Medicine; Robert Seymour, minister emeritus at Binkley; and the moderator, Collins Kilburn, director emeritus of the N.C. Council of Churches.

Dorrien will preach at the 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday.

University United Methodist to hold celebration

Sunday, May 31, will be a day of celebration at University United Methodist, 150 East Franklin St.

On this day of Pentecost, the church will mark accomplishments of the Vision 21st Century, (V-21) a strategic plan developed by the congregation and will dedicate the new drop-off loop in front of the church.

The loop dedication is set for 10:40 a.m. followed by worship at 10:55 a.m. The annual church picnic on the front lawn will be held after the service.

The drop-off loop has increased access to worship services and programs. With parking at a premium, the loop was top priority of the V-21 plan that was finished in 2004.

"The new drop-off loop has been a wonderful addition in terms of helping young parents to pick up their kids in the afternoon," said Kim Patterson, director of the church's preschool, which meets weekday mornings at the church. "They don't have to wait in line for a parking space. It's really wonderful for them."

The picnic will feature a lunch of barbecue, chicken and all the fixings as well as a bluegrass band, cakewalk and games and activities for both adults and children.

Judea Reform rabbi honored with Harvard fellowship

Rabbi John Friedman at Judea Reform Congregation has been awarded Harvard University's Daniel Jeremy Silver Fellowship for the 2009-2010 academic year.

The fellowship was established at Harvard's Center for Jewish Studies in 1990 with a generous gift from alumni and family and friends of Daniel Jeremy Silver, A.B. 1948.

It is awarded to an active congregational rabbi who has demonstrated exceptional intellectual and academic interest, originality and energy in the pursuit of Jewish scholarship. The fellowship is intended to allow the recipient to pursue full-time research in Jewish thought or history for a semester. The fellowship recipient enjoys full access to the resources of Harvard, its libraries, professors and staff.

Rabbi Friedman will be working on the translation of a Hebrew account of a medieval trial of the Talmud ordered by the French Monarch, Louis IX in 1240 CE.

Friedman has been the senior rabbi at Judea Reform for almost 30 years. He studied at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem and Cincinnati where he was ordained in 1976.

At Judea Reform he teaches adults and children through many synagogue programs. One of his most popular projects with youth is to take them visiting Christian churches around the city. This is a project that sparks many questions and lots of discussion, bringing about better understanding and appreciation among all people of faith.

The rabbi received the Martin Luther King "Keeper of the Dream" award and the Durham "Better Human Relations" award for his work in the Durham community. He has served as president of Durham Congregations in Action and has spoken to many civic and religious groups.

He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 2001 and currently serves as National chairman of the Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Rabbinic Cabinet.

Clothes Closet schedules summer hours

The Clothes Closet at Lystra Baptist Church will be open during the summer on the following days during the summer months:

• Saturday, June 6, from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Wednesday, June 24, from 7 to 8 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 22, from 7 to 8 p.m.

• Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Free clothing for adults and children are available to Chatham County families who visit the Evergreen Take, Eat Food Pantry, CORA, Social Services or are receiving food stamp assistance.

The church is at 686 Lystra Road, off U.S. 15-501. It is the white church on the right.

Summer series explores lessons of Jesus' life

Carrboro United Methodist Church, 200 Hillsborough Road, will kick off its summer worship schedule on June 21 with a series called "The Jesus Prescription for a Healthy Life." The series is based on Leonard Sweet's book of the same name with the sermons looking at the lifestyle of Jesus as shown in the gospels and including ideas on how Christians can apply these lifestyle practices in their own lives.

Worship is at 11 a.m. on Sundays and a nursery is provided.

Boys Choir to perform at Duke Chapel spring concert

The North Carolina Boys Choir and Chamber Choir will present the annual spring concert on Sunday, May 31, at 4 p.m. at Duke Chapel in Durham.

John Alexander from First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro will be the organist. Directors are William Graham and Scott Mann. Included in the program will be works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Strauss, Randall Thompson and John Rutter.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children under 12. Tickets are available at Pearson Music Company on Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham or at Burrage Music Company on Green Road in Raleigh, and will also be available at the door an hour before the performance.

Please let us know what's going on in your church or faith group, so we can share your news with our readers. E-mail news and announcements to Flo Johnston at fjohnston3@nc.rr.com.